You, Me and PSP by Steve Dagnell
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be dying? Knowing that you are within sight of reaching your own mortality? Sitting in a body that is not even recognised by your brain? Cilla knew! PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) affects thousands, yet there is little known about it. Perhaps the similarities between this illness and others have masked the effects, and for some this may come far too late due to misdiagnosis. This insight into the unique illness of PSP has been painstakingly put together for the exact purposes of showing how an illness can affect one person's life. The devotion to 'open up' in this frank, 'no holds barred' biography is to allow you, the reader, to see how an ordinary life can change in such a short time. This honest approach should allow both the sufferer and their eventual carers to help come to terms with both their illness and their own transience. Maybe, by proving how similar we all are, there might be an eventual understanding, which hopefully will go well beyond just one person. With the help of others, it has been possible to recall some human elements. Although, in truth, it is the sufferers own underlying feelings and personal memories that make this book so special. In this instance, like many of us, Cilla remembered what it felt like to be invincible. To be able to run, skip, hop, jump, climb and generally be able to do almost anything. Through this book, Cilla thought that if her experiences were made public then she could, at least, help othersa | indirectly or otherwise. The latter stages of the book, sadly, reflect the concluding stages of lifea | so be prepared to get to know Cilla in both life and her eventual death.